Pari-mutuel urges DoI to block Florida sports betting in new lawsuit
| By Daniel O'Boyle
A Florida-based pari-mutuel betting operator has filed a suit calling for the US federal government to block online sports betting in Florida.
The case has been filed on the grounds that the tribal compact permitting statewide betting violates federal law and the state constitution.
The compact in question was approved by the state legislature and Governor Ron DeSantis in May, before receiving approval from the Department of the Interior last month. It would allow online sports bets to be placed from anywhere in the state with servers located on the Seminole Tribe’s lands in a so-called “wheel-and-spoke” model.
The suit – filed by West Flagler Associates in the US District Court of Columbia – alleges that offering statewide online sports betting through servers on tribal lands cannot be considered as betting on tribal lands.